Jeb Bush Says Christian Business Owners Can Refuse To Serve Gay Weddings

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Huffington Post

Jeb Bush Says Christian Business Owners Can Refuse To Serve Gay Weddings
Posted: 05/17/2015 5:02 pm EDT Updated: 36 minutes ago

Likely Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush said that Christian business owners should not have to provide services for gay weddings if it goes against their religious beliefs.

“Yes, absolutely, if it’s based on a religious belief,” he said when asked by the Christian Broadcasting Network in an interview Saturday if businesses should be able to decline services to same-sex weddings.

The former Florida governor justified his position by claiming that not providing a service does not count as discrimination if business owners feel that it violates their religious rights.

“A big country, a tolerant country, ought to be able to figure out the difference between discriminating someone because of their sexual orientation and not forcing someone to participate in a wedding that they find goes against their moral beliefs,” he said. “This should not be that complicated. Gosh, it is right now.”


Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/05/17/jeb-bush-gay-weddings_n_7301728.html

[TheCowsCameHome]

1. This is from the Onion, right?

[RKP5637]

2. He's a total loser, unfit to serve! n/t

[onecaliberal]

3. Obviously Babs never taught her sons to put the shovel down.

[Gore1FL]

27. Too many bodies to bury for that. n/t

[elleng]

4. Headlines really get me.

Which did he ACTUALLY say, business CAN refuse service, or SHOULD BE ABLE to refuse service.
Nit picking? NO, it's a serious legal question.

[Jackpine Radical]

5. Can humanists refuse to serve asshole politicians with empathy deficits?

"I'm sorry, sir. My religion forbids me to serve psychopaths."

[HassleCat]

6. OK, then

If a gay or lesbian parking lot attendant sees the Jesus fish on your vehicle, he or she can make you park on the psychiatric level.

[savalez]

7. What does this even mean?

“A big country, a tolerant country, ought to be able to figure out the difference between discriminating someone because of their sexual orientation and not forcing someone to participate in a wedding that they find goes against their moral beliefs,” he said. “This should not be that complicated. Gosh, it is right now.”

In my opinion there is NO difference!

[Moonwalk]

11. There would be a difference if the premise was correct. But no one is being "forced"....

...to participate in the wedding. They're being told they have to sell their wedding cake to anyone who wants a wedding cake. Selling a cake to someone doesn't mean you're making them do something immoral, letting them do something immoral that you could have stopped, or being forced, yourself, to particpate in immorality.

Refusing to give them the cake simply means that you're expressing your opinion of their private and legal decision. It is an act of discrimination, especially if you're a public business who advertises that they'll sell cakes to anyone.

[CanonRay]

36. It's meaningless drivel that he was walk back later

which is apparently all that ever comes out of his face.

[muntrv]

8. Fine, Jeb. As an atheist, I refuse to serve talibornagain like you.

[jwirr]

9. He really wants the nomination but in this he is going to lose the general.

[Moonwalk]

13. Yes, Jeb is behind the times. During his brother's years, this would have flown...

...but recent polls show that the majority of voters are in favor of gay marriage and gay rights. And they're not going to churches or belonging to religions that express opinions like this. And that goes for many who call themselves republicans. So, bad move Jeb; even his own party is beginning to dislike this sort of rhetoric.

[Fuddnik]

10. Another bottom - feeding Bush

Whooda thunk it?

[the_sly_pig]

12. J B the pharisee. It rhymes.

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

14. I can hear the gears grinding

Jeb - Christian!!!!

[lobodons]

15. Laws of the land not the Bible

When you open a business in this country, you agree to abide by the laws of the land which include the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and not the bible.

And BTW: Jesus would work the gay wedding. He perhaps would not agree with them, but he is for extending a helping hand to ALL.

[Voice for Peace]

16. I wouldn't want people serving at my wedding if they didn't want to be there

if I were getting married, gay or straight married

ew toxic food full of disdain

[DirtyHippyBastard]

17. Let me get this straight...

A man who wants to run for president of a country founded on equal rights for all, and the separation of church and state, wants people to be able to deny others their rights based on religious ideals.
What a douche... if you don't want to deal with the gays join a monastery (heh, sorry, made me chuckle a little after I typed it) or one of the many other religious communities that separate themselves from the general public.
If you want to operate a public business you don't get to decide who that public may or may not be. That's why they call it public.
God, do I hate stupid arrogant people.

[mehrrh]

18. history repeats itself

This is the same excuse that southern racists used when denying service and education to blacks in their communities.
One may not "hide" behind their religion in order to discriminate and violate the civil rights of other citizens.
We are all equal under the law -- or so the law says -- it's the hypocrites, the ones who are selective in their beliefs according to their own prejudices that are lawbreakers.

[Hoppy]

19. We don't know the background to this.

Wee Georgie has a direct connection to Jesus. It is possible that Jesus 'splained to Georgie that Brother Jebbie was out of line.

[Mr.Bill]

20. Says a lot about

what kind of Supreme Court justices he would appoint.

[project_bluebook]

21. I would go out of my way not to do business with religious fanatics

They would be the first to screw ya.

[Vinca]

22. Can gay people refuse to do business with Christians? Just wondering.

[jmowreader]

28. Nope. Religion is a "federally protected class" that you may not discriminate against

It's kinda like race or gender, except religion is chosen.

[YOHABLO]

23. So can business owners refuse to serve REPUBLICANS?

[Contrary1]

25. Why not?

They go against my beliefs of feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, and taking care of the sick.

[undeterred]

24. Keep digging, Jeb.

[Cryptoad]

26. Funny,,,, thats what they said back in 50's and 60'ss about serving blacks,,,

it was against their religious beliefs ,,,,,,,

[dembotoz]

29. joys of the party nomination process qr serving the base with red meat

[WillyT]

30. K & R !!!

Keep going right, Jeb...

[Thespian2]

31. In the one working brain cell

that forms Jebbie's entire brain, selling someone a cake means the baker participates in the wedding...No, no, poor little brain cell...baking a cake is baking a cake...if the baker runs a PUBLIC business, anyone can buy the cakes...the baker need not deliver them nor slice them for the wedding party...Poor little brain cell...I am so sorry that you got stuck into the cortex of a mouth-breathing son of a bush...

[Dawson Leery]

32. Keep digging, Bull Connor.

[SoapBox]

33. Ohhhh...I see the pattern here...he's Anti-Gay.

This story and the one that he says no to Same-Sex Marriage.

Well, that's all very clear...asshole.

[They_Live]

34. Yet my belief in the lack of religion trumps

his belief in religion. So there!

[Jefferson23]

35. Gosh. He actually used that word, what an impressive speaker. lol He is wrong of course

to not recognize discrimination but he has to know that. Why he believes this will
help him win the WH is dumb, because it won't..nor his idiotic statements about his
brother and Iraq.

[left-of-center2012]

37. Yes they can!

If they ignore the laws and constitution.